It’s early April, but the Douglas Unified School District Governing Board has already begun to make plans for the 2008-09 school year.

The Douglas Unified School District recently honored its nominees for Teacher of the Year. The nominees, from right to left, were, Beverly Enriquez, Faras; Kevin Alvarado, Joe Carlson; Lucinda Rose, Stevenson; Rosalie Cummins, Clawson; Fernando Morales, Ray Borane; Mario Romero, Huber Middle School; Ruth De Boer, Douglas High School; Jody Pirtle, Early Learning Center; and Judy Riddle, CTE. Selected to run in the county competition were Enriquez and Alvarado from the elementary schools; Morales and DeBoer from the middle and high schools and Riddle from CTE. Not pictured is Edmund Garcia from Sarah Marley.

During its Tuesday, April 8, meeting, the board approved several administrators and directors to continue service next year but didn’t renew some emergency and certified substitute contracts.

The board approved the renewal of contracts for Gloria Lopez, principal, Douglas High School; Daniel Bates and Earl Simmons, assistant principals at Douglas High School; Claudia Leon, principal at Faras  School; Andrea Overman, principal at Clawson; Rafael Ortiz, principal at Stevenson; Martin Muecke, assistant principal at Huber Middle School; and Janice Gallagher, principal at Joe Carlson Elementary School.

The board also approved renewing the contracts of Rob Doctor, CTE/JTED Director; Randy Walker, Athletic Director; and Leanne Marston, Curriculum Director.

The board did not renew the contracts of substitute and emergency certificate holders Juan Esquer, Michelle Hurtado, Jenny Thomas, Virginia West, Heather Everson, Eric Meechan and Richard Dodge until they obtain credits and show verification of moving toward their certification goals.

The board tabled action on approval of additional terms on the employment contract for new superintendent Earl Pettit until they could address the issue with him either over the phone or in person. Pettit is currently out of the country.

During the meeting, the board also reviewed reports from the elementary schools; and the middle and high schools, concerning changes in the discipline matrix.

At the elementary level, one of the concerns was to make the discipline fair and equitable throughout the schools. They wanted to make sure there was uniformity across all grade levels.

In the middle and high school, there has been an increase in dress code violations and gang activity, which has made it necessary to make the changes in the discipline code.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the first reading to revisions to policies “Professional/Support Staff Leaves of Absence Without Pay,” “Student Records,” and “Special Instructional Programs.”

• Accepted the donation of a vehicle valued at approximately $400 from Southern Arizona Auto to the DHS Auto Shop.

• Approved fundraising activities by the DHS soccer team to raise funds to attend soccer camp.

• Approved stipends to Chaelyn Fredrickson, $3,000, D-PASS Summer Session; John Cadigan, $23,000, D-PASS Summer Session; and Earl Simmons, $5,000, D-PASS Summer Session.

• Approved stipends in the amount of $962.50 and $169.40 to Emilio Gonzalez for additional duties as band director and equipment maintenance.

• Approved middle school track coach, Melissa Laborin, at a rate of $1,104.

• Ratified Tom Cox and Martin Muecke as Qualified Evaluators for the district.

• Hired Celina Ybarra as a secretary at Clawson School at $9.36 per hour; and Lisa Ortega, Ray Borane secretary at $11.27 per hour.

• Approved Cochise College teacher preparation program student  Xochitl Sierra, for classroom observations at Sarah Marley.

• Approved retirement request from Sylvia Valenzuela, school nurse, at the end of the 2008-09 school year; Irma Flores, Instructional Aide at the end of the current school year; and the resignation of Suzette Rico-Vildosola, teacher at Clawson at the end of the current school year.

• Approved authorized signatures for district banking accounts at Wells Fargo Bank; and approved the designation of Denise Evans as Student Activities/Auxiliary Treasurer.

• Approved District Action Plan to assist underperforming schools including Joe Carlson, Sarah Marley, Ray Borane and Paul Huber as is required by the state.

• Approved out-of-state travel for DECA student Karen Garcia to join her classmates  at the 2008 International Career Development Conference in Atlanta; Huber Middle School student council members to go to Disneyland on May 16-18; Bianca Hernandez, Andrea Arnejo and John Mariscal to attend Advanced Placement Institute in Las Vegas; Jill Forsythe to attend the Advanced Placement Institute in San Diego; Gail Zamar to attend the Interstate Migrant Education Council meeting in Washington, D.C. as the representative from rural Arizona.

• Approved science kits and material use in K-8 levels.

All schools and school offices will be closed on April 21. The next regular board meeting is May 6.